Leadership is a trait seen in many people, but is this a trait people are born with or something that must be learned? In other words, when someone is caught in a "life or death situation," is their decision to act a quality that all people are born with, or is it a trait that a person must acquire over time? This is where the common debate of "Nature Vs Nurture" comes in. For those who have not heard of this before, "nature" discusses the idea that we are born with a specific trait; "Nurture" then discusses that a trait is acquired through specific interactions throughout their lifetime. Many different studies have been done to determine the source of leadership, and still there is no 100% true answer to this question. On the nature side, it has been shown that living things are born with the ability to lead. It is in our blood and in our genes. This shows that any person can lead and take charge; however, how well they do it is where "nurture" comes into play. When we are taught something new, we develop a new neuron dedicated to that new skill, but if that skill/memory is neglected, that neuron will be lost (Character and Traits in Leadership 7). This shows that we must be surrounded by good leaders and/or taught how to be a good leader in order to become a great leader. Sure we all have a little leader inside of us, but in order to become a great leader, we must be in contact with leaders and be taught how to improve our leadership abilities. This ability to lead is not only seen in humans, but in almost all living things. If one takes time to look around and learn from nature, they will see that even the bottom of the food chain needs leadership. One example is seen in prairie dogs. They are small little rodents that many people do not care for, but thanks to scientific studies, we have learned that prairie dogs are dedicated and are willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of their family. When a predator approaches their family or nest, a brave leader will sound an alarm to tell the rest of the nest that danger is near. This may seem simple, but by doing this, the brave little prairie dog gives away his position, thus putting himself in the most danger. This shows immense leadership because not only is the prairie dog teaching the young the value of family and cooperation, but is choosing to save his family at the sake of its own safety. That was just one example of leadership seen outside of humanity. All around us leaders are working toward the betterment of their species. Whether it is a wolf teaching its young how to hunt, a football coach training his players, or a soldier leading his squad into combat, leaders are seen everywhere and are a strong importance in the survival and development of life on Earth.
Many different studies have been done to determine the source of leadership, and still there is no 100% true answer to this question. On the nature side, it has been shown that living things are born with the ability to lead. It is in our blood and in our genes. This shows that any person can lead and take charge; however, how well they do it is where "nurture" comes into play. When we are taught something new, we develop a new neuron dedicated to that new skill, but if that skill/memory is neglected, that neuron will be lost (Character and Traits in Leadership 7). This shows that we must be surrounded by good leaders and/or taught how to be a good leader in order to become a great leader. Sure we all have a little leader inside of us, but in order to become a great leader, we must be in contact with leaders and be taught how to improve our leadership abilities.
This ability to lead is not only seen in humans, but in almost all living things. If one takes time to look around and learn from nature, they will see that even the bottom of the food chain needs leadership. One example is seen in prairie dogs. They are small little rodents that many people do not care for, but thanks to scientific studies, we have learned that prairie dogs are dedicated and are willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of their family. When a predator approaches their family or nest, a brave leader will sound an alarm to tell the rest of the nest that danger is near. This may seem simple, but by doing this, the brave little prairie dog gives away his position, thus putting himself in the most danger. This shows immense leadership because not only is the prairie dog teaching the young the value of family and cooperation, but is choosing to save his family at the sake of its own safety.
That was just one example of leadership seen outside of humanity. All around us leaders are working toward the betterment of their species. Whether it is a wolf teaching its young how to hunt, a football coach training his players, or a soldier leading his squad into combat, leaders are seen everywhere and are a strong importance in the survival and development of life on Earth.
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